Tourism: Finance

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding his Department has allocated to the tourism industry in  (a) the UK and  (b) Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 18 March 2010
	The information requested about tourism funding for Westmorland and Lonsdale is not held centrally. The North West Regional Development Agency (NWRDA) has the primary role in taking forward the north-west regional tourism strategy, and in deciding on investment to promote tourism that would affect Cumbria. The NWRDA spent £14 million in support of tourism in 2008-09.
	The overall level of public sector investment in UK tourism from local, regional and national sources is likely to exceed £2 billion in the current spending review period.
	In partnership with the industry and the wider public sector, DCMS has a clear and coherent policy framework for promoting tourism. The funding provided for the heritage and museums and galleries; for branding and marketing improvements led by VisitBritain and VisitEngland; for the National Skills Strategy for tourism and hospitality; and for the work across Britain to drive up product quality through accommodation grading schemes are all investments by Government which support tourism.

Crimes of Violence: Crime Prevention

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking with local authorities to tackle gang activity.

Alan Campbell: Gangs are part of the wider serious youth violence agenda, on which the Government have spent £17.3 million since September 2007 as part of the Tackling Gangs Action Programme (TGAP) and Tackling Knives and Serious Youth Violence Action Programme (TKAP). On 17 March 2010 David Hanson, Minister of State for Security, Counter-Terrorism, Crime and Policing, announced a further £5.5 million for tackling serious youth violence in 2010-11. £1.5 million of this funding has been made available through the Community Fund, ensuring that 150 voluntary and community sector organisations are able to deliver intensive interventions at a local level to young people involved in serious youth violence, including gangs.
	Through the Policing and Crime Act 2009 the Home Office created Gang Injunctions, a civil tool to allow local authorities and police to tackle over 18s involved in gang related violence. Parliament is currently considering provisions in the Crime and Security Bill which will allow this civil tool to be used in relation to 14 to 17-year-olds. The £17.3 million funding since September 2007 to tackle gangs and serious youth violence has included £1.6 million to the four cities that were the focus of the TGAP programme, London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool, to assist in the multi-agency risk management of violent offenders, including gang members. In Merseyside, for instance, this funding has resulted in the UK's first Violent Offender Management Unit. The Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) have also jointly established a team of experts from police forces, local authorities and central Government that will be available to local partnerships to deliver focused advice and guidance on gangs.
	Further support for local schools, partnerships and practitioners can also be found in guidance on safeguarding children and young people who may be involved in gang activity, recently published jointly by the Home Office and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). This guidance builds on the advice already offered in Tackling Gangs: A Practical Guide, published in 2008, which provides key approaches to help local partnerships devise a gangs strategy.

Domestic Violence: Crime Prevention

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the effects on the level of domestic violence of restraining orders made under section 12 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004.

Alan Campbell: Section 12 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act (2004) was implemented on 30 September 2009. There has been no assessment of the effects of this legislation on the levels of domestic violence.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Talisman project is fully operational in Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: The Talisman route clearance system is currently in theatre and should be operational soon. As with other counter-IED systems, Talisman is a developing capability and will continue to evolve over the coming months. I am withholding information on the exact schedule as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Animal Experiments

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many animals of each species involved in procedures died as a result of those procedures at  (a) Porton Down and  (b) other establishments for which he is responsible in each of the last five years.

Quentin Davies: The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) returns the numbers of procedures undertaken involving animals at Dstl Porton Down to the Home Office on an annual basis, the numbers of procedures returned for last five years are detailed in the following table. This is the only designated defence establishment for such procedures.
	
		
			  Numbers of Dstl procedures returned to the Home Office 
			   Guinea Pig  Ferret  Mouse  Pig  Rabbit  Rat  Sheep  Non-human primate  Total 
			 2005 661 60 20,016 127 3 195 2 54 21,118 
			 2006 545 0 15,986 123 0 335 4 52 17,045 
			 2007 647 0 17,095 74 5 359 2 75 18,257 
			 2008 254 0 10,404 113 2 549 0 55 11,380 
			 2009 190 0 7,698 96 30 5 0 149 8,168 
		
	
	A very large proportion, approximately 95 per cent. of the total number of animals involved in the procedures either died during the procedure, or were humanely culled at the end of the procedures, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act:
	http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/hoc/321/321-xa.htm
	Sections 3D, 14 (3) and 15 (2) detail the requirement for specific approval to keep animals alive after the completion of any regulated procedure.
	A small number of animals, are approved for re-use in further procedures. An example of reuse was the herd of goats retained at Alverstoke for use in the hyperbaric research programme supporting the Ministry of Defence's Submarine Escape Rescue and Abandonment System. This programme ceased in November 2006, as formally announced in a written ministerial statement on 6 February 2008,  Official Report, column 70WS.

Out of Area Treatment

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister on arrangements for cross-border healthcare.

Peter Hain: I have regular meetings with the First Minister and we keep under review the cross border implications of the policies of both Governments. The position of the Governments in Westminster and Wales is that the border should not represent a barrier to provision of health care, and to that end we have worked closely together on the Revised Protocol for Cross-border Healthcare. The Protocol provides increased clarity on commissioning and funding arrangements and on access standards for patients. It ensures patients who live in border regions and who access health services across the border will continue to see improvements to their services. Across the entire UK the Government remain committed to the core defining principles of an NHS funded by tax and free at the point of use.

Nurseries

Christopher Chope: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many  (a) staff and  (b) hon. Members are on the waiting list for a place in the proposed House of Commons day nursery for one or more of those children.

Nick Harvey: There is no such waiting list at the present time, but much interest has been expressed informally.

Nurseries

Christopher Chope: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford of 16 March 2010,  Official Report, column 731W, on nurseries, how much time was saved as a result of not referring the matter to the Finance and Services Commission.

Nick Harvey: Referring the matter to the Finance and Services Committee would have delayed the opening of the nursery by introducing a further stage in the process of approval. The nursery would not then have been available for Members' use in the autumn.

Nurseries

Christopher Chope: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the Oral Answer to the hon. Member for Gainsborough of 11 March 2010,  Official Report, column 428, on Bellamy's bar, for what reasons 1 Parliament Street was preferred to the North Curtain corridor for the location of a day nursery.

Nick Harvey: Following assessment of the potential sites and advice on their suitability from three child care specialists, 1 Parliament street's advantages over North Curtain Corridor as a location for a nursery included direct access, ease of conversion, its greater degree of natural light and the fact that no Members' rooms are affected. In addition, the provisional costs including fees of converting 1 Parliament street were provisionally estimated at £490,000 excluding VAT, compared with £607,000 excluding VAT, for North Curtain.

Bangladesh: Water

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance the Government is giving to Bangladesh to tackle salinity in  (a) land and  (b) groundwater; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: Supporting Bangladesh to meet the challenges of climate change, including rising land and groundwater salinity, is an important priority for Department for International Development (DFID).
	Since 2003, the UK has disbursed £4.6 million to the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) managed by UNDP, which has helped the Government and vulnerable communities to better manage the impact of climate change, including rising salinity. For example, some 34,000 people are benefiting from rainwater harvesting and pond sand filters in Satkhira, one of the worst saline affected districts. We recently committed a further £12 million to a second phase of CDMP, and £60 million to a wider Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Climate Change (subject to approval by the Government of Bangladesh), both of which will be drawn upon for similar activities in the future.
	The Sanitation, Hygiene and Water Supply Project managed by UNICEF, to which the UK has provided £36 million, is contributing to better national monitoring of water salinity. We are also supporting innovations such as the cultivation of saline- tolerant vegetables in pilot areas.

Teachers: Licensing

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what representations he has received on the proposals contained in his Department's White Paper, Your child, your schools, our future, to introduce a system for the re-licensing of teachers every five years.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 15 march 2010
	 We have received representations via correspondence from MPs, teachers' unions and members of the public about our proposals to introduce the licence to practise.
	We are continuing discussions with teachers' unions through our social partnership and with the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) to ensure that we design a licensing which will bring real benefits to the profession.
	Subject to the passage of Children, Schools and Families Bill, we remain committed to holding a public consultation on our detailed proposals for the licensing arrangements which will be set out in draft regulations in the spring.

Departmental Food

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to ensure that the meat and dairy products procured by his Department and its non-departmental bodies are free range or produced to standards equivalent to those of the RSPCA Freedom Food scheme.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) takes account of advice received from the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) and DEFRA when establishing procurement arrangements for the purchase of food.
	The Department receives procurement services from Central Procurement Division in the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP). DFP also published guidance in 2008, 'Integrating Sustainable Development into the Procurement of Food and Catering Services', which aims to develop the partnership between the public sector in Northern Ireland and its food suppliers as part of the procurement process.
	Guidance produced by DEFRA under the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative also encourages and shows public sector bodies how they can specify higher animal welfare standards, including farm assurance schemes and higher level schemes such as the RSPCA's Freedom Foods standards.

Motorcycles: Driving Tests

Michael Fallon: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what representations he has received on recent changes to the motorcycle test procedures.

Paul Clark: Since the new test was introduced on 27 April 2009, the Driving Standards Agency has received representations from the public and interest groups-primarily about the number of Module 1 test delivery points especially in rural areas, and incidents occurring during the Module 1 test. Some have asked for details of the test design to be reviewed.
	In October 2009, the Transport Select Committee took evidence about the new motorcycling test. The Committee's report has been published today.
	Driving Standards Agency staff have also been engaged with motorcycling and other interest group through stakeholder forums and public consultation exercises.

Parking Offences: Closed Circuit Television

Bob Neill: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 25 January 2010,  Official Report, column 528W, on parking offences: closed circuit television, whether a privacy impact assessment was produced in relation to the use of local authority CCTV for parking enforcement; and on what basis CCTV may be used for civil parking enforcement.

Sadiq Khan: The certifications we grant to enable CCTV equipment to be used for civil parking enforcement are concerned only with the security, reliability and integrity of the evidence the equipment produces in accordance with regulations made under the Traffic Management Act 2004. We do not seek any information about privacy impact assessments that local authorities may have undertaken for their CCTV systems.
	The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) General Regulations 2007-SI 2007 No. 3483-and The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (Approved Devices) (England) Order 2007-SI 2007 No. 3486-prescribe the statutory basis for the use of CCTV for civil parking enforcement. With regard to other guidance we have issued on the use of CCTV for that purpose, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 6 January 2010,  Official Report, column 330W.

Railways: Construction

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  if he will publish the hydrogeological risk assessment commissioned by his Department on the effect on the  (a) ground water and  (b) aquifir in the Chilterns of the construction of High Speed Two;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure the protection of boreholes and springs in the Chilterns region against contaminants as a result of the construction of High Speed Two;
	(3)  if he will estimate the likely cost of mitigation of any damage to aquifirs in the Chilterns resulting from the construction of High Speed Two.

Chris Mole: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 22 March 2010,  Official Report, column 81W.

Railways: Fares

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the availability of oyster cards at mainline stations; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: The retail of Oyster Pay-As-You-Go is limited to London, its area of operation. Stations jointly served by London overground and/or London underground and national rail services are able to issue passengers with new Oyster cards. The Southern and Southeastern train operators also sell the cards at their staffed stations in the Pay-As-You-Go area.

Youth Offending

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of youth offending.

Maria Eagle: We have made excellent progress in the last 12 years. The National Statistics published last week show that the frequency rate of juvenile reoffending has fallen, with a 24.8 per cent. reduction between 2000 and 2008.
	This is in addition to a 12.2 per cent. fall on the number of young people entering the criminal justice system between 2000-01 and 2008-09.

Witness Protection

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps have been taken to improve witness protection arrangements in magistrates courts in the last three years.

Claire Ward: The Government are committed to ensuring that witnesses who attend court are kept safe and protected. Since 2007, HMCS has issued improved guidance which seeks to safeguard the safety of witnesses at court and invested over £825,000 to improve facilities for witnesses. This includes the upgrading and installation of new video link equipment; and provision of in-court witness screens so witnesses are better able to give evidence effectively and safely.

Courts: Video Conferencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department has issued guidance in respect of its virtual court pilot scheme on whether a person who appears in court over a video link from a prison or a police station may be held to be in contempt of court.

Claire Ward: No guidance has been issued in relation to contempt of court in virtual court cases.
	The legislative framework for virtual courts is in ss.57A-57D of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (as, amended). The legislation provides that the accused is to be treated as present in court when appearing through a live link under those sections. Case law and legislation concerning contempt in the face of the court would therefore apply to such hearings in the same way as it does to hearings where the defendant is present in court.

Prison Accommodation: Wales

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of prison accommodation in Wales.

Maria Eagle: Our most recent assessment of prison accommodation in Wales was given to the Welsh Affairs committee in November 2009. This highlighted that North Wales is an area of strategic need for prison places within the prison estate and we are conducting a site search for a new prison in this area as well as other areas of strategic need such as London and the south-east, West Yorkshire and the north-west. We are looking to increase capacity in South Wales through the provision of a further 330 prison places at HMP Parc.

Voting Rights: Armed Forces

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects his Department to receive the report of the working group on the voting rights of members of the armed forces.

Michael Wills: The working group meets on a regular basis, most recently in early March. I have written to parliamentary colleagues who attended the meeting on service voting in December to give an interim update from the working group and share the group's consideration of the suggestions made at that meeting. The Government are consulting on longer term options to support service personnel and their families to vote in elections, and I have also written to opposition parties, asking that the parties sign up to the commitment to consult on a cross-party basis.

Departmental Computer Software

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood of 1 March 2009,  Official Report, column 916W, on departmental ICT, what fonts were purchased by  (a) his Department and  (b) HM Revenue and Customs; and what consideration was given to using fonts available in software packages already in use in each.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Disability Discrimination Act requires Departments to make their materials as accessible as possible and accessibility research suggests that serif fonts are more difficult to read. For the Treasury the existing fonts on the system were examined and none met the accessibility requirements. The core Treasury font was therefore changed to a sans serif font, Humanist 777, ensuring Treasury documents are more accessible.
	HM Revenue and Customs purchased a package of font symbols and the cost includes licenses for all of the Department's designers (20 licences).
	This new range adds to and updates the Department's library of font symbols to include more up to date images such as mobile phones, Blackberry and iphone as these were not available in the original software package.

Departmental Information Officers

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) press officers and  (b) communications staff were employed by his Department (i) in each of the last five years and (ii) on the latest date for which figures are available; and what the cost of employing such staff was in each such year.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The number of full-time equivalent press officers employed by HM Treasury is nine. In addition HM Treasury employs 22 staff working directly on publishing, digital, internal communications and strategic communications. Information on the costs for each year could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	For information on press officers for the previous five years I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers given to the hon. Member for Tatton (Mr. Osborne) on 11 January 2005,  Official Report, column 445W, the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz) on 5 June 2006,  Official Report, column 177W, the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 213W, the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Browne) on 21 February 2008,  Official Report, column 939W and the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond) on 19 June 2009,  Official Report, 546W.
	Previous information on communication staff is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Equitable Life Assurance Society

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department has taken to ensure that its database of contact details of former Equitable Life policy-holders eligible for payments under any payment scheme is accurate and up-to-date.

Liam Byrne: Officials have been carrying outwork on scheme design in parallel with Sir John Chadwick's work. Ensuring contact details are up to date and accurate is part of this work.

Infrastructure UK: Legal Opinion

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria were used to select Linklaters as legal adviser to Infrastructure UK; how the contract for those services was advertised; how many other companies tendered for that contract; and what the monetary value is of that contract.

Ian Pearson: The requirement for legal services was competed under the OGC buying solutions "Legal Services - major projects (including complex, innovative PFI/PPP)" framework ref RM373/L8. The requirement was "advertised" via a collaborative Framework Agreement.
	The following evaluation criteria was used:
	Demonstrable capability of the team in the relevant areas, particularly strong, proven skills in PFI/PPP lender advisory work on closed transactions.
	Demonstrable capability to work with public sector authorities in the PFI/PPP sector
	Capacity and strength in depth in the firm, to provide the necessary support as and when required
	Costs/Fee proposal
	Responses were received from eight firms, three of whom were invited to interview.
	No monetary value was assigned to the contract. A schedule of hourly rates was agreed subject to staff seniority.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many public houses there were on the Rating List in each local authority area in England in  (a) 1997 and (b) 2010.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 December 2009,  Official Report, column 1303W, in respect of the 1997 data. Information for the draft 2010 Rating Lists was first published by the Valuation Office Agency on it website on 18 December 2009.
	http://www.voa.gov.uk/publications/statistical_releases/Table3-England_RV_by_scat_code.xls
	Information for Public Houses can be found under:
	Public Houses/Pub Restaurants (National Scheme)-SCAT 226
	Public Houses/Pub Restaurants (Inc. Lodge) (National Scheme)-SCAT 227

Smuggling: Tobacco

Paul Holmes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated monetary value of smuggled cigarettes, tobacco and tobacco-related products which were seized was in each year since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Data relating to the estimated value of smuggled tobacco products seized by HMRC, and latterly the UK Border Agency, are only available going back to 2003.
	Estimates of the total value i.e. the value of the goods and associated tax, in each year since 2003 are:
	
		
			  Goods and tax values of tobacco seizures border 
			  Total (£ million) 
			   Financial year 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Goods value 44.1 43.1 49 53.8 48.5 50.1 
			 Tax 170.1 165 206.1 224.6 213.6 191.9 
			 Total 214.2 208.1 255.1 278.5 262.2 242.1

Taxation: Alcoholic Drinks

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average cash value was of  (a) valued added tax and  (b) alcohol duty charged on a pint of standard (i) lager, (ii) bitter and (iii) cider in each year since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The average cash value of value added tax and alcohol duty charged on a pint of lager, pint of bitter and a litre of cider can be found in Section 3 of the HM Revenue and Customs Alcohol Factsheet, available at:
	https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=factalcohol
	The latest available annual data relates to 2009.

Valuation Office Agency: Contracts

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 4 February 2010,  Official Report, column 522W, on the Valuation Office: contracts, how much was spent with Experian in 2008-09; what datasets were purchased by the Valuation Office Agency; and for what purposes.

Ian Pearson: Costs in relation to Experian in 2008-09, which related to mapping materials for non-domestic property valuations, were £57,055.

Valuation Office Agency: Contracts

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 4 February 2010,  Official Report, column 522W, on the Valuation Office: contracts, how much was spent with  (a) Rightmove.co.uk,  (b) Bodens,  (c) Blue Starfish,  (d) Bocadillos,  (e) Brown's,  (f) Chelsea Football Club.  (g) Conflict Management Plus Ltd.,  (h) Euro RSCG Riley and  (i) ZSL London 200 in 2008-09; what goods and services were purchased; and for what purposes.

Ian Pearson: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) spent £776,250 with Rightmove in relation to acquiring property sales data, £271 for publications with Bodens, £9,055 for training staff with Blue Starfish, £1,954 for catering and refreshments with Bocadillos, £2,673 for catering and refreshments with Browns, £293 for training with Conflict Management Plus Ltd., £23,634 for graduate surveyor recruitment and advertising with Euro PSCG Riley, and £3,200 for conference facilities with ZSL London Zoo. VOA did not incur any costs in relation to Chelsea Football Club.

Departmental Food

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will take steps to ensure that the meat and dairy products procured by her Department and its non-departmental bodies are free range or produced to standards equivalent to those of the RSPCA Freedom Food scheme.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department has a PFI contract for the provision of fully serviced accommodation which includes catering. The contract is with Telereal Trillium and their catering services supplier is Eurest (part of the Compass Group UK and Ireland). Since 2003, the Department has been working with these suppliers, actively pursuing a Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative action plan and one of the key objectives of this Initiative is to raise farming standards.
	Compass Group has confirmed that they endorse the Farm Animal Welfare Council's Five Freedoms concept and provide full traceability of products and suppliers within their approved supply chain to ensure animals reared for meat, fish, milk and eggs are raised to high standards of animal welfare.
	Compass Group has also confirmed a long-standing commitment to source its seafood as sustainably as possible. They were the first foodservice company to achieve the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Chain of Custody certification enabling them to serve certified sustainable, MSC labelled seafood choices. Within the DWP contract many of their sites are buying products to these standards and promotional activities are run to encourage DWP staff to purchase the more ethically sourced products.
	The information requested in respect of DWP's non-departmental bodies is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Disability Living Allowance

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants received awards of disability living allowance on the basis of drug or alcohol dependency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: Entitlement to disability living allowance is not dependent on a diagnosis or condition but relies instead on the care and/or mobility needs arising. In the case of someone with drug or alcohol dependency, needs may arise as a result of their substance dependence or a physical or mental complication caused by drugs or alcohol. Many people with drug or alcohol dependency may also have a mental health condition.
	The number of disability living allowance cases in payment where the main disabling condition is recorded as drug and alcohol abuse, which will represent a subset of all disability living allowance claimants with a drug or alcohol dependency, at August 2009 is 22,000.
	 Notes:
	1. The figures is rounded to the nearest hundred and have been uprated to be consistent with Work and Pensions Longitudinal Survey data.
	2. The figure shows the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital.
	3. Where more than one disability is present only the main disabling condition is recorded.
	4. A diagnosed medical condition does not mean that someone is automatically entitled to disability living allowance. Entitlement is dependent on an assessment of how much help someone needs with personal care and/or mobility because of their disability. These statistics are only collected for administrative purposes. For example, a customer would not be awarded disability living allowance on the basis of a diagnosis of drug/alcohol abuse. The decision is based upon the care/supervision and difficulty getting around as a result of the substance dependency and any associated physical or psychological complications.
	 Source:
	Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5 per cent. sample.

Greater Manchester

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to Manchester, Gorton constituency, the effects on that constituency of her Department's policies since 2 May 1997.

Jonathan R Shaw: DWP lead the Government's response to some of the biggest issues facing the country-welfare and pension reform-and are a key player in tackling child poverty(1). As the biggest delivery Department in the UK, DWP makes a difference to millions of people every day, helping them to lead safer, fairer and more rewarding lives that are free from poverty. We want to give people more choice and control over their lives and are committed to providing greater choice and personalised support to everyone who needs it so they have the opportunity to get into and remain in work. We believe that work works. Even in economically challenging times we know that work works for the most vulnerable and the disadvantaged.
	 Support to find work
	Through Jobcentre Plus, we are promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age. Since January 1998, the number of people unemployed in Manchester, Gorton has decreased by 10 per cent. to 3,891, and the number unemployed for more than one year has decreased by 63 per cent. to 515. From August 1997 to August 2009 the number of lone parents claiming income support in Manchester, Gorton has decreased by 44 per cent. to 1,890.
	Our New Deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, disabled people, the over 50s and partners of unemployed people to move from benefit into work. Since their inception over 2.2 million people in Great Britain have found work with the support of the New Deal, and 6,060 have been helped in Manchester, Gorton.
	 Support for children
	We introduced a target to halve child poverty by 2010-11 on the way to eradicating it by 2020. Poverty is measured using a headline indicator of the proportion of children in households with an income below 60 per cent. of contemporary household median income before housing costs. This is in line with international best practice.
	Statistics on the numbers of children living in poverty are not available at the constituency level.
	 Support for older people
	Since 1997 our strategy has been to target help on the poorest pensioners while providing a solid foundation of support for all.
	This year we will be spending over £13 billion more on pensioners than if we had continued with the policies that were in place in 1997. Around half of that money will go to the poorest third of pensioners.
	In 1997 the poorest pensioners, who received income support, lived on £69 a week (£98 in today's prices). Today pension credit, which was introduced in 2003, means no pensioner needs to live on less than £130 a week, £198.45 for couples. As of August 2009, 5,830 pensioners in Manchester, Gorton are benefiting from pension credit.
	In 2007-08 there were 900,000 fewer pensioners living in relative poverty in UK compared to 1998-99 (measured as below 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income after housing costs).
	Statistics on the proportion of pensioners living in relative poverty are not available at the constituency level. But the latest data for the north-west Government office region show that the proportion of pensioners in poverty (measured as below 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income after housing costs) fell from 28 per cent. to 18 per cent. since 1997(2).
	Pensioners in the UK also benefit from a range of additional support such as the winter fuel payment which for winter 2009-10 is worth £250 for households with someone aged between 60 to 79 and £400 for households with someone aged 80 or over. These payments provide vital reassurance to older people that they can afford to turn up their heating during cold weather. Prior to winter 1997-98 less than £60 million per year was spent helping pensioners meet their fuel bills-we now spend around £2.7 billion on winter fuel payments alone. In winter 2008-09 (the last winter for which information is available) 10,010 people aged 60 and over benefited from winter fuel payments in Manchester, Gorton.
	We have also taken steps to strengthen and protect the private pensions system to ensure people can continue to have confidence to save for their future through the establishment of the Pensions Protection Fund, the Financial Assistance Scheme and a more powerful and proactive pensions regulator.
	The protection system ensures that, unlike in 1997, people are not left without a pension even in the event that their employer becomes insolvent.
	In total 2,167 people in the north-west Government office region are receiving compensation from the Pension Protection Fund (data not available at constituency level)(3).
	We have also taken forward a radical package of pension reforms in the Pensions Acts of 2007 and 2008 which will deliver a fairer and more generous state pension and extend the opportunity of workplace pension saving to millions, many for the first time.
	The state pension reforms begin to come into effect from 2010 and will mean around three quarters of women reaching state pension age in 2010 are expected to qualify for a full basic state pension compared to half without reform.
	 Support for disabled people and carers
	Since 2001, we have significantly extended and improved civil rights for disabled people in areas such as employment, education, access to goods and services and transport. Disabled people in Manchester, Gorton will have benefited from these improvements. The Welfare Reform Act 2009 contains powers to increase choice and control for disabled adults, including disabled parents who are entitled to state support, enabling them to choose how certain state support is used to meet their individual needs. This will be trailblazed in eight local authority sites from late 2010. Older and less well off carers have gained extra help through the provisions within the National Carers Strategy.
	(1) The Department for Work and Pensions was created in 2001 and so information relates to the Department and its predecessors.
	(2) Based on three-year averages and changes are rounded to the nearest percentage point or 100,000 pensioners between 1997-98-1999-00 and 2005-06-2007-08.
	(3) Regional information about assistance payments received by members from the Financial Assistance Scheme could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

National Employment Savings Trust

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the written ministerial statement of 16 March 2010,  Official Report, columns 57-8WS, on National Employment Savings Trust (NEST), over what time period she expects the proposed Government loan to NEST to be repaid.

Angela Eagle: The period in which the loan to NEST Corporation will be repaid will ultimately depend on a variety of factors, including the final costs of NEST and the size and nature of its membership. We anticipate that the total loan period, including the years in which NEST borrows from Government and the subsequent repayments, will last in the region of 20 years.

Social Security Benefits

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average processing time of applications for  (a) jobseeker's allowance,  (b) housing benefit,  (c) a crisis loan,  (d) a community care grant and  (e) a budgeting loan was in (i) each of the smallest geographical areas for which information is available and (ii) the UK in each quarter of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Goodman: Information regarding Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
	The available information has been placed in the Library.
	Jobcentre Plus has a formal target for the average actual clearance time (AACT) taken to process jobseeker's allowance claims. The two dates used to calculate this average are from the initial date of a customer's contact i.e. their call to a Jobcentre Plus contact centre to the date a decision is made on their claim and a letter of eligibility is issued to them.
	Jobseeker's allowance data for 2005-06 are recorded down to district level. From 2006-07 the data are recorded at benefit delivery centre level which is now the smallest geographical area that can be provided. Jobcentre Plus does not hold quarterly AACT figures.
	Housing benefit information has been provided from 2003-04 to 2007-08, the data quality for 2008-09 was not high enough for publication. The Department has been working with local authorities to improve data quality. This month we intend to publish processing time information for April to September 2009, for between 270 and 300 local authorities whose data meets Official Statistics standards.

Afghanistan: Politics and Government

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with officials of the government in Afghanistan on the presidential decree in February 2010 on Afghan electoral law regarding the requirement for a quota of female parliamentarians in the Afghan parliament; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We are in regular contact with the Government of Afghanistan and have discussed the presidential decree at length. We understand that the changes to Afghan electoral law enacted by the decree do not affect the quota of parliamentary seats reserved for women, but the process for filling these seats if they are empty. Previously where there were fewer female candidates than there were seats reserved for women, the remaining seats were left empty. The decree allows these seats to be filled by men after an election, rather than remaining empty. We will continue to discuss this issue with the Government of Afghanistan.

Burma: Nuclear Power

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of Burma's  (a) nuclear capability and  (b) ability to produce uranium; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We are aware of recent media reporting suggesting that Burma is seeking to develop its nuclear capability. We take such issues very seriously, and remind all states to adhere to their obligations under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and all relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.

Burma: Nuclear Power

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with his EU counterparts on the matter of possible nuclear co-operation between Burma and North Korea; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We are aware of recent media reports suggesting that North Korea and Burma are expanding their military relationship. We regularly raise concerns regarding North Korean nuclear proliferation in discussions with EU counterparts, as well as with states involved in the Six-Party Talks process. The UK continues to urge all countries, including Burma, to respect their obligations under United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874.

China: Religious Freedom

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has discussed the case of Mr Gao Zhisheng with the Chinese government; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised the case of Gao Zhisheng with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi during his recent visit to China. Yang denied that Gao had been tortured or his rights violated, but provided no further information on his case. Later, at a press conference, Yang said that Gao had been sentenced to prison on subversion charges. He gave no details of the charges against Gao, or the length of his sentence.
	We remain concerned about the case of Gao Zhisheng and the continuing uncertainty over his whereabouts. I released a statement on 3 February urging the Chinese Government to provide accurate information on Gao's situation to ease the concerns of his family and friends and to provide reassurance about his condition. The EU also issued a statement, expressing their concerns over Gao's disappearance on 9 February. We will continue to raise his case at every appropriate opportunity.

Census

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2010,  Official Report, column 795, on the 2011 Census, what the most recent estimate is of the  (a) absolute response rate in terms of number of respondents and  (b) percentage response rate in each of the pilot local authority areas for the 2011 Census rehearsals; in which (i) wards and (ii) postcode areas rehearsals were held in each of the pilot areas; and what criteria were used to select the sub-areas.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2010:
	As the Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2010, Official Report, column 795, on the 2011 Census, what the most recent estimate is of the (a) absolute response rate in terms of number of respondents and (b) percentage response rate in each of the pilot local authority areas for the 2011 Census rehearsals; in which (i) wards and (ii) postcode areas rehearsals were held in each of the pilot areas; and what the criteria were by which the sub-areas were selected. (318330)
	The rehearsal was unlike the Census in that it was voluntary and publicity was necessarily limited. It included 133,890 addresses (61,725 in Lancaster, 38,618 in Newham and 33,547 in Anglesey); 49,300 returns were received.
	In order to rehearse our procedures appropriately, 51% of addresses were pre-selected to be subject to the full follow-up process; the remainder were not followed up if they did not respond. In the Census itself, it is the intention that all non responding households will be followed up.
	(a) Measuring return rates from those 68,000 households subject to the full process, we had 27,500 returns (41%).
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 Lancaster 48 
			 Newham 28 
			 Anglesey 49 
		
	
	(i) and (ii) All wards in Lancaster and Anglesey were included in the rehearsal.
	Areas in Newham were selected by lower super output areas, a statistical geography, which do not always align with ward boundaries. All or part of the wards and postcode sectors shown at Annex A were part of the Newham rehearsal.
	The particular criteria for choosing sub-areas in Newham were that they should contain around 40,000 households, a number of communal establishments and a traveller site; that they should have high concentrations of multiple occupancy and students; that they should be contiguous. The areas were chosen in order to reflect some of the particular challenges representative of hard to enumerate areas.
	 Annex A
	 (i) Wards in which the rehearsal was held
	All wards in Lancaster and Anglesey and the following in Newham:
	
		
			  Ward reference  Ward name  LA name  Level of ward inclusion 
			 OOBBGU Stratford and New Town Newham Whole 
			 OOBBGG East Ham Central Newham Partial 
			 OOBBGK Forest Gate North Newham Partial 
			 OOBBGD Canning Town North Newham Partial 
			 OOBBGF Custom House Newham Partial 
			 OOBBGE Canning Town South Newham Partial 
			 OOBBGS Plaistow South Newham Partial 
			 OOBBGB Beckton Newham Partial 
			 OOBBGJ East Ham South Newham Partial 
			 OOBBGX West Ham Newham Partial 
			 OOBBGT Royal Docks Newham Partial 
			 OOBBGL Forest Gate South Newham Partial 
			 OOBBGH East Ham North Newham Partial 
			 OOBBGC Boleyn Newham Partial 
			 OOBBGW Wall End Newham Partial 
		
	
	 (ii) Postcode areas
	 Newham
	E1
	E12
	E13
	E15
	E16
	E3
	E6
	E7
	 Lancaster
	CH3
	LA1
	LA2
	LA3
	LA4
	LA5
	LA6
	LA7
	PR3
	 Anglesey
	LL00
	LL58
	LL59
	LL60
	LL61
	LL62
	LL63
	LL64
	LL65
	LL66
	LL67
	LL68
	LL69
	LL70
	LL71
	LL72
	LL73
	LL74
	LL75
	LL76
	LL77
	LL78

Government Departments: Publications

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will place in the Library a copy of the guidance issued by the National Statistician to Government departments on the publication of statistics during the 2010 general election campaign.

Tessa Jowell: On the announcement of a general election, the Cabinet Office issues guidance on the handling of departmental business during the pre-election period, including guidance on statistical activities agreed with the National Statistician. The 2005 general election guidance is in the Libraries of both Houses, and can be found on the Cabinet Office website:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/cabinetoffice/propriety_and_ethics/assets/electguide.pdf

Contraceptives: Health Education

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Guildford of 6 January 2010,  Official Report, column 471W, on contraceptives: health education, what consideration was given to including advertising of the benefits of the oral contraceptive pill in his Department's campaign, Contraception: worth talking about; what assessment he has made of the effect of his Department's campaign on usage of the oral contraceptive pill; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The "Sex. Worth talking about" campaign highlights that there are 15 contraceptive options available, including two types of contraceptive pill. It aims to raise awareness of the longer acting methods which are more effective in typical use and are less well known among the public. The campaign is designed to encourage people to investigate all their options and to consider which method might best fit their lifestyle. It advises a discussion with a healthcare professional in order to clarify these options, as medical considerations may impact an individual's final choice. It is too early to know if there has been an effect on usage of the oral contraceptive pill but the annual NHS Contraception Services Report, due October 2010, will be the first indication of any changes in the profile of contraceptive methods chosen by women.

Direct Payments

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people are receiving direct payments for carers in each local authority area;
	(2)  how much funding has been allocated in each local authority area to administer personalised budgets in the next 12 months; and what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) existing and  (b) new recipients that will receive personalised budgets in each such area in the next 12 months;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of local authorities which will reach the 30 per cent. target for the number of people able to access personalised budgets for social care; and what steps he plans to take in relation to those authorities which do not reach that target;
	(4)  what guidance his Department is providing to local authorities on turning personalised budgets into direct payments; and what programmes have been established to assist this process.

Phil Hope: Data on the number of carers (aged 16 and over who are caring for adults aged 18 and over) in receipt of direct payments from councils with adult social services responsibilities (CASSRs) is collected and published by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care. Provisional data on the total numbers of carers in receipt of direct payments during the year 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009, by CASSR are available and a copy has been placed in the Library. Final data for 2008-09 are expected to be published on 28 April 2010.
	The Department has given councils an Adult Social Care Reform Grant of £520 million to spend over three years from April 2008. This will enable them to make their social care services more personalised. It is a local decision about how much the local authority chooses to spend to administer personal budgets, which is only one part of the transformation programme. The Department does not collect prospective information. However, the Association for Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) has estimated that 200,000 people are likely to have a personal budget by April 2010.
	Although the Department collects information retrospectively on the number of people who receive personal budgets, no official estimate has been made of the number of councils that will have provided personal budgets to 30 per cent, of people eligible to receive community care services by April 2011. ADASS are currently undertaking a survey to identify council's progress and this report will be published in the summer.
	Councils which do not meet the target will be identified by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as part of their monitoring role. The Department has been working closely with CQC to ensure that a consistent message is delivered to councils.
	The following guidance and programmes have been provided to councils to help them operate and use direct payments and personal budgets:
	Personal budgets for older people-making it happen (January 2010). This guide focuses on how councils can make personal budgets work well for older people and their families. It looks at how to ensure personal budgets are accessible, simple to use, flexible and help to achieve the things that matter most to the people using them. A copy has been placed in the Library.
	Personal Budgets: Council Commissioned Services (January 2010). ADASS produced further advice on how personal budgets can work well for people who use council-commissioned services rather than a direct payment.
	ADASS and the Department published a set of materials which aim to help councils make progress with implementing 'Putting People First (2007) (PPF)' a copy of which has already been placed in the Library. These bring together the latest learning from councils and are linked to the PPF milestones agreed between ADASS, the Local Government Association and the Department in September 2009. These materials include:
	PPF operating models: early learning (October 2009). This resource was published by ADASS which provides advice and examples showing how innovative councils are approaching the transformation of their systems and the lessons they are learning.
	Guidance on direct payments: For community care, services for carers and children's services (September 2009). This departmental guidance provides information on how local councils might operate direct payments. It reflects the changes brought about by the new regulations and supersedes the 'Direct Payments guidance: community care, services for carers and children's services (Direct Payments) guidance England 2003'. It also reflects the Government's commitment to support independence, choice and control, as set out in Putting People First; A shared vision and commitment to the transformation of Adult Social Care and Aiming high for disabled children.
	The Department has also published a self-assessment and action planning guide (May 2007) to support councils and their partners. These local solutions have been collated to form a web-based nation solution set which is available at:
	http://kc.csip.org.uk/solutionset.php?grp=601

General Practitioners: Leeds

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) GPs and  (b) dentists were practising in Leeds North West constituency in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The number of general practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) practising within the former Leeds health authority and the Leeds primary care trust (PCT) area for 1997 and the latest date at which data is available is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number 
			   1997  2008 
			 Leeds Health Authority 422 n/a 
			 Leeds PCT n/a 518 
			 n/a = Not applicable.  Notes: 1. Data is not available at constituency level. Leeds PCT was created on 1 October 2006 from a complete merger of East Leeds PCT, Leeds North East PCT, Leeds North West PCT, Leeds West PCT and South Leeds PCT. Prior to 2002 Leeds was serviced by the Leeds Health Authority. This Health Authority may not map completely into the newly formed PCTs but has been provided here as background and appears consistent with subsequent aggregated PCT figures. 2. Data as at 1 October 1997 and 30 September 2008. 3. Data Quality: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses.  Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care general and personal medical services statistics 
		
	
	The numbers of national health service dentists, as at 31 March 1997 to 2006 are available in Annex E and Annex G of the NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report England: 31 March 2006. Annex E provides information by strategic health authority (SHA) and by PCT. Annex G provides information by constituency.
	This information is based on the old contractual arrangements, which were in place up to and including 31 March 2006. This report, published on 23 August 2006, has already been placed in the Library and is available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dwfactivity
	The numbers of dentists with NHS activity during the years ending 31 March 2007, 2008 and 2009 are available in Table G1 of Annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2008-09 report. Information is provided for England and by SHA and PCT but is not available by constituency. This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006. This report, published on 19 August 2009, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentalstats0809
	Following a recent consultation exercise, this measure is based on a revised methodology and therefore supersedes any previously published workforce figures relating to the new dental contractual arrangements. It is not comparable to the information collected under the old contractual arrangements. This revised methodology counted the number of dental performers with NHS activity recorded via FP17 claim forms in each year ending 31 March.
	These published figures relate to a headcount and do not differentiate between full-time and part-time dentists, nor do they account for the fact that some dentists may do more NHS work than others.

Home Care Services: Birmingham

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of people aged 65 years or over in Birmingham received assistance to live at home in each year since 1997; and how much funding was provided for such purposes in each of those years.

Phil Hope: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care collects information on the number of people aged 65 and over in receipt of local authority funded community based services and the expenditure on these services. Reliable data about numbers of people receiving community based services are only available from 2001-02. Information about expenditure on services is only available from 2000-01.
	Table 1 shows the number of adults-aged 65 and over-in receipt of community based services from Birmingham city council as at 31 March for the years 2001-02 to 2004-05 and the total gross current expenditure on community based services for adults-aged 65 and over-for the financial years 2000-01 to 2004-05.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   Number aged 65 or over in receipt of community-based services( 1)  Population aged 65 or over( 2)  Number aged 65 and over helped to live at home per 1,000 population( 1)  Expenditure( 3 ) (£000) 
			 2000-01 - - - 46,082 
			 2001-02 13,500 141,900 95 47,597 
			 2002-03 11,500 141,600 81 41,110 
			 2003-04 10,600 140,600 76 47,113 
			 2004-05 8,500 139,600 61 47,197 
			 (1) As at 31 March each year. Community based services/helped to live at home includes planned short breaks, professional support, transport and equipment and adaptations, in addition to home care, day care and meals services. The definition of people aged 65 and over is taken to be the same as the earlier Performance Assessment Framework Indicator AO/C32: Older people helped to live at home (BVPI 54). (2) Mid year population estimates provided by the Office for National Statistics. (3) Expenditure data are for the full financial year.  Sources: RAP P2s and PSS EX1 returns. 
		
	
	In 2004-05, revised guidance was issued, excluding from the statistics people receiving services from grant-funded organisations who had not had a community care assessment. As a result, data on the number helped to live at home from that time onwards are not comparable to data from previous years.
	Table 2 shows the number of adults-aged 65 and over-in receipt of community based services from Birmingham city council as at 31 March for the years 2005-06 to 2008-09 and the total gross current expenditure on community based services for adults-aged 65 and over-for the financial years 2005-06 to 2008-09.
	
		
			  Table 2 
			   Number aged 65 or over in receipt of community-based services( 1)  Population aged 65 or over( 2)  Number aged 65 and over helped to live at home per 1,000 population( 1)  Expenditure( 3)  (£000) 
			 2005-06 8,200 138,700 59 54,145 
			 2006-07 9,200 137,400 67 60,608 
			 2007-08 7,700 135,600 56 59,813 
			 2008-09(4) 7,000 136,400 52 82,876 
			 (1) As at 31 March each year. Community based services/helped to live at home includes planned short breaks, professional support, transport and equipment and adaptations, in addition to home care, day care and meals services. The definition of people aged 65 and over is taken to be the same as the earlier Performance Assessment Framework Indicator AO/C32: Older people helped to live at home (BVPI 54). (2) Mid year population estimates provided by the Office for National Statistics. (3) Expenditure data are for the full financial year. (4) 2008-09 data are provisional.  Sources: RAP P2s and PSS EX1 returns.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people had been waiting for treatment at Northampton General Hospital for  (a) over two years,  (b) between one and two years,  (c) between six months and one year and  (d) up to six months in (i) 1997, (ii) 2001 and (iii) the latest year for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: Information on waiting times for elective admission patients still waiting (weeks) for Northampton general hospital during the time periods 1996-97, 2000-01 and 2009-10 (provider-based) is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  In-patient waits 
			   0 < 6 months  6 < 12 months  12 < 24 months  24 months+  Total 
			 March 1996-97 4,370 1,207 219 0 5,796 
			 March 2000-01 4,736 1,346 402 0 6,484 
			 January 2009-10 3,779 0 0 0 3,779 
			  Note:  In-patient waiting times are measured from decision to admit by the consultant to admission to hospital.  Source: DH KH07 and MMRPROV collections.

Methadone: Gloucestershire

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made an estimate of the number of people being prescribed methadone in Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust in  (a) the latest period for which figures are available and  (b) each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Figures on the number of prescription items for methadone prescribed in Gloucestershire primary care trust (PCT) and the other PCTs from which it was formed in October 2006 
			   Items  Financial year 
			  PCT  Methadone classification  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10( 1) 
			 Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Cough suppressant 7 2 n/a n/a n/a 
			  Analgesia 13 6 n/a n/a n/a 
			  Substance dependence 1,174 706 n/a n/a n/a 
			
			 Cotswold and Vale Cough suppressant - 1 n/a n/a n/a 
			  Analgesia 3 4 n/a n/a n/a 
			  Substance dependence 628 405 n/a n/a n/a 
			
			 West Gloucestershire Cough suppressant - - n/a n/a n/a 
			  Analgesia 48 17 n/a n/a n/a 
			  Substance dependence 2,117 1,772 n/a n/a n/a 
			
			 Gloucestershire Cough suppressant n/a 4 5 7 5 
			  Analgesia n/a 19 60 102 76 
			  Substance dependence n/a 2,623 5,930 6,744 3,730 
			 Total  3,990 5,559 5,995 6,853 3,811 
			 (1) April to September.  Notes: 1. Data at PCT level is taken from the ePACT system (Prescribing Analysis and Cost Tool), which stores data for 60 months. Data for the final quarter of 2009 is embargoed until after the publication of the associated National Statistic in April 2010. The ePACT system covers prescriptions prescribed by general practitioners (GPs), nurses, pharmacists and others in England and dispensed in the community in the United Kingdom. For data at PCT level, prescriptions written by a prescriber located in a particular PCT but dispensed outside that PCT will be included in the PCT in which the prescriber is based. Prescriptions written in England but dispensed outside England are included. Prescriptions written in hospitals/clinics that are dispensed in the community, prescriptions dispensed in hospitals, dental prescribing and private prescriptions are not included in PACT data. It is important to note this as some British National Formulary (BNF) sections have a high proportion of prescriptions written in hospitals that are dispensed in the community. 2. The BNF describes three uses for Methadone, as a cough suppressant, for analgesia and for the treatment of substance dependence. Figures for each of these have been given but the classification does not guarantee that it was used for that purpose. 
		
	
	The National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) figures for the Gloucestershire drugs partnership area on the number of people receiving prescribed opioid substitute treatment (mainly methadone or buprenorphine) from specialist community services or their GP, but not which drug they are being prescribed.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005-06 1,358 
			 2006-07 1,459 
			 2007-08 1,542 
			 2008-09 1,683 
			  Notes: 1. Figures collected by NDTMS before 2005-06 are not considered robust enough broken down at local level. 2. Figures combine numbers receiving prescribed opioid substitute treatment from a specialist community services or GPs. 3. NDTMS does not record which drug is prescribed (methadone or buprenorphine). 4. Figures for Gloucestershire PCT are not collected centrally but the Trust covers the same area as the drugs partnership.

Respite Care: Leeds

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated to Leeds North West primary care trusts for carer's respite in  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11.

Phil Hope: The national carers strategy, "Carers at the Heart of 21st Century Families and Communities", identified the funding that was available within primary care trust (PCT) baselines to improve support for carers. A copy has already been placed in the Library. It announced that £150 million would be given to PCTs to provide carers' breaks (£50 million in 2009-10, and £100 million in 2010-11). Although this is new money, it is part of PCT baseline allocations and PCTs have not been advised of individual sums for carers' breaks. It is for PCTs to decide their priorities for investment locally, taking into account their local circumstances and priorities as set out in the national health service operating framework.
	Department directors of NHS Performance and Adult Social Care Performance have written to strategic health authorities to identify where PCTs have agreed with their local authority to prioritise carers' support for the current year, and those that are likely to prioritise it for the next year. This information will help ensure the Department has a rounded picture when considering the priority afforded to carers in future planning rounds. The Department has ensured that the NHS Operating Framework for 2010-11 brings out the role carers can make as expert partners in care, as well as the need to provide support for them. This includes the provision of carers' breaks.

Apprentices

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the budget for apprenticeships for those aged 19 years old and over was in the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The breakdown of funding allocations for those aged 19-years-old and over in the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  19+ apprenticeship funding participation (England) 
			   £ million 
			 2005-06 232 
			 2006-07 218 
			 2007-08 229 
			 2008-09 347 
			 2009-10 390 
			  Sources:  2005-06: LSC Annual Report and Accounts 2005-06. 2006-07 and 2007-08: LSC Annual Report and Accounts 2007-08. 2008-09: LSC Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09. 2009-10 Skills Investment Strategy 2010-11.

Credit

John Battle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what research has been undertaken by his Department on the level of interest rates charged in the (a) legal and  (b) illegal home credit market; and what the highest rate of interest charged was in each such case.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 22 March 2010
	Research carried out for the DTI by Policis in 2004 gave an example of an APR in the legal home credit market of 497 per cent. The Competition Commission investigation of the home credit market in 2006 stated that APRs in the home credit market range from 150 to 500 per cent. One of the remedies introduced by the Commission was the requirement for all home credit providers to include their products on a website, lenders compared, to enable customer comparison of prices. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation reported that the breakeven APR for a not-for-profit home credit company was between 123 and 129 per cent. The OFT is reviewing the high cost credit market, including the home credit market, and they will report shortly.
	The Department commissioned a research report into the scope and extent of illegal money lending in the UK by Policis and the Personal Finance Research Centre (PFRC) in 2006. The total cost of credit charged by illegal money lenders was on average £185 per £100 advanced, approximately three times the cost of credit from the highest cost legal lenders and more than double what people expected to pay. Loan sharks' interest rates can vary from 500 per cent. up to as high as 11 million per cent. in some extreme cases.

Departmental Written Questions

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what methodology his Department used to determine whether answers to questions in the formulation if he will set out with statistical information related as directly as possible to the tabling hon. Member's constituency the effects on that constituency of his Department's policies since 1997 could be provided without incurring disproportionate cost; and if he will make a statement.

Pat McFadden: The Department obtained information from internal data sources and a number of other databases including the Local Area Labour Force survey and the Annual Population Survey in order to answer these questions. The relevant sources were identified in each answer. Given the availability of the information, disproportionate costs were not a factor in providing answers.

Estate Agents

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of regulation of estate agents; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The Office of Fair Trading recently published a market study report entitled Home Buying and Selling, which considered the effectiveness of regulation in respect of estate agents. The Government will respond to the OFT's recommendations addressed to it in due course.

Insolvency: Leeds

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses employing  (a) fewer than 10,  (b) between 11 and 50,  (c) between 51 and 100,  (d) between 101 and 200 and  (e) over 200 employees have been declared insolvent in Leeds North West in each year since 2000.

Ian Lucas: Official statistics covering corporate insolvencies are not currently available at a sub-national level within England and Wales.
	Additionally, the number of employees is not recorded on the source datasets.
	Self-employed traders may be declared bankrupt (or enter into an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA)). While official regional figures down to constituency level for self-employed bankrupts are maintained from calendar year 2000, the number of employees (if any) is not available.

Learning and Skills Council

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills who was invited to the LSC Recognition Event referred to in item 3.1 of the Learning and Skills Council National Council minutes of 9 December 2009; and what the cost was of the event.

Kevin Brennan: The event was to recognise the significant contribution of LSC non-executive members to the learning and skills agenda prior to the organisation's abolition on 31 March and to encourage their continuing support to public service in the future. A selection of LSC national council members, regional council chairs and members, along with a limited number of key personnel from LSC national and regional offices were invited to the event. A total of 104 people attended.
	The total cost of the event was £3,554.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Bob Neill: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether any businesses in ports have informed  (a) his Department and  (b) the Insolvency Service that they have gone into liquidation as a consequence of their payments of backdated business rates in the last six months.

Ian Lucas: The Department have had no contact on this issue.
	There is insufficient detailed information held centrally by the Insolvency Service, and in a readily available format, to provide an answer to this question. This is because:
	businesses in ports is not a standard industry classification and therefore is not recorded;
	addresses are not available to then be able to count companies giving a port as part of their address;
	causes of failure of companies in liquidation are not recorded centrally.

Wi-Fi

Lembit �pik: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the number of  (a) hotels,  (b) cafés,  (c) bars,  (d) train operators,  (e) launderettes and  (f) other small businesses that provide open WiFi services; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: I have no plans to make such estimates.

Wi-Fi

Lembit �pik: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has made a recent estimate of the number of business users of open WiFi; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: No such estimates have been made.

Aerials: Planning Permission

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 6 January 2010,  Official Report, column 360W, on aerials: planning permission, what his Department's timetable is for amending planning policy guidance on telecommunications.

Ian Austin: The review of Planning Policy guidance Note 8: Telecommunications has not yet been programmed.

Affordable Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many new  (a) low cost home ownership and  (b) social homes were (i) flats and (ii) houses in each local authority area in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many new  (a) low cost home ownership and  (b) social homes had (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three and (iv) four or more bedrooms in each local authority area in each year since 1997.

Ian Austin: Tables will be placed in the Library of the House which shows the number of low cost home ownership and social rented homes delivered through the Homes and Communities Agency's Affordable Housing Programme by the number of bedrooms and by houses or flats for each local authority area. These figures are only available from the Homes and Communities Agency's Investment Management System, so will not cover the total number of affordable homes.

Council Tax: Greater London

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average Band D council tax was in each London borough in each year from 1997 to 2010.

Barbara Follett: Details of the average Band D council tax in each London borough in each year from 1997-98 to 2009-10 are available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localregional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/counciltax/
	Data for 2010-11 will be available from 24 March.

Council Tax: Yorkshire and the Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what level of council tax was set for a Band D property, including all precepts apart from parish council precepts, in each  (a) district council and  (b) unitary authority in Yorkshire and the Humber in each year from 2002-03 to 2010-11.

Barbara Follett: Details of the level of the Band D council tax, including all precepts apart from parish council precepts, in each  (a) district council and  (b) unitary authority in Yorkshire and the Humber region in each year from 2002-03 to 2009-10 are available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localregional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/counciltax/
	Data for 2010-11 will be available from 24 March.

Councillors: Codes of Practice

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons the secondary legislation required to bring into force the new Councillor Code of Conduct will not be considered in accordance with the originally planned timetable.

Rosie Winterton: The priorities for Government at this time are the economy and actions to support a sustainable recovery. We must make the best use of parliamentary time and, while I recognise the importance of conduct matters, there is a robust code of conduct for local authority members already in place which is being used very successfully by local authority members and conduct regime practitioners.

Councillors: Codes of Practice

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance the Standards Board for England has issued to local authorities on the employment of external investigators to conduct investigations into alleged breaches of the Code of Conduct for councillors.

Rosie Winterton: General guidance on the delegation of investigations is included in the 'Local investigations guidance' issued by the Standards Board for England, and specific guidance on outsourcing investigations to another organisation or individual is included in their guidance 'How to conduct an investigation guide'. Both sets of guidance are available on the Standards Board's website at:
	http://www.standardsforengland.gov.uk/Media/Local%20investigations%20and%20other%20action.pdf
	and
	http://www.standardsforengland.gov.uk/media/How%20to%20conduct%20and%20investigation.pdf

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many designs for its  (a) internal website and  (b) intranet his Department and its predecessor have commissioned since 2005; and what the cost was of each such design.

Barbara Follett: The Department's intranet was redesigned in 2007 as part of a Government-led project to review, rationalise and converge its websites. For information relating to the costs of the redesign, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mr. Dhanda) on 20 May 2008,  Official Report, column 264W. As design costs were shared across three sites; the corporate website, intranet and Info41ocal, we are unable to report intranet costs alone.

Departmental Written Questions

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what methodology his Department used to determine whether answers to Questions in the formulation if he will set out with statistical information related as directly as possible to the tabling hon. Members' constituency the effects on that constituency of his Department's policies since 1997 could be provided without incurring disproportionate cost; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: The answers provided refer to publicly available data sources. This information was provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Energy Performance Certificates

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2010,  Official Report, column 212W, on energy performance certificates, whether quality assurance procedures identified errors relating to the formula used to determine energy ratings for the Energy Performance Certificate Register during the period 18 September 2008 to June 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: holding answer 15 March 2010
	CLG validates and approves all software for producing Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). There were no errors in our approved software between 18 September 2008 and June 2009.

Fire Services: Greater London

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the latest go-live date is for the Regional Fire Control Room in London.

Shahid Malik: holding answer 15 March 2010
	Under current planning assumptions the Regional Fire Control Centre for London is due to become operational during September 2011. In view of the proximity of this date to the Olympic Games, I have written to the Chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority to ask if they wish to move this date back until after the Olympics. I have also offered to explore the possibility of moving their current control into the Regional Control Centre so that London can benefit from the facilities and enhanced resilience the new building offers during the Olympics.

Government Offices for the Regions

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in which Government Office regions have regional European Strategy Boards been established.

Rosie Winterton: European Strategy Boards have been established in the Government Office regions for the North East England, West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber. Similar groups have been established in and the Government Office regions for the North West and East of England.

Home Information Packs

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2010,  Official Report, column 359W, on home information packs, if he will place in the Library a copy of the final report of the working group on condition information in the home buying and selling process.

Ian Austin: We will place a copy of the final report of the Working Group on Condition Information in the Home Buying and Selling Process in the Library in due course.

Home Information Packs

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 22 February 2010,  Official Report, column 269W, on home information packs, on what date the final report of the working group on condition information in the home buying and selling process was submitted to his Department; and when he plans to publish his response to that report.

Ian Austin: holding answer 1 March 2010
	The final report of the Working Group on Condition Information in the Home Buying and Selling Process was submitted to the Department on 17 December 2009. We will set out our response in due course.

Housing: Conferences

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many employees of the Homes and Communities Agency attended the MIPIM International Property Conference in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009.

Barbara Follett: HCA was formed on 1 December 2008 and did not attend the MIPIM conference in that year. Seven members of HCA staff attended the MIPIM conference in 2009.

Housing: Conferences

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much he expects his Department to spend on  (a) travel and  (b) accommodation for (i) Ministers and (ii) officials attending the MIPIM International Property Conference in March 2010.

Barbara Follett: No departmental Ministers or officials are attending the MIPIM conference in March 2010.

Housing: Conferences

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials of his Department expect to attend the MIPIM International Property Conference in March 2010.

Barbara Follett: None.

Housing: Regeneration

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made by the Home and Communities Agency in its Single Conversation process in North Kent; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The Local Investment Plan (LIP) for North Kent arising from the Single Conversation is due to be finalised by the end of March. It will then be considered by the Thames Gateway Kent Leaders Board. Further information, can be obtained from the Homes and Communities Agency's South East regional office.

Local Authority Business Growth Incentive Scheme

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has allocated to the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive Scheme in each year to date; and whether he expects the scheme to continue after 2010-11.

Barbara Follett: For the period 2005-06 to 2007-08, £1 billion was allocated to LABGI: £935 million to England and £65 million to Wales. The National Assembly for Wales has been responsible for distribution of its LABGI allocation.
	In England, the Government have given the following total sums in LABGI grants each year:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005-06 115,455,797 
			 2006-07 328,003,805 
			 2007-08 92,152,517 
			 2008-09 396,194,175 
			 2009-10 50,000,000 
		
	
	The Government have recently indicated that they intend to distribute LABGI grant totalling £50 million in 2010-11.
	Decisions about the future of LABGI will be taken as part of the next spending review.

Local Government Finance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding his Department applocated per capita to each local authority in England in  (a) 2009 real terms prices and  (b) cash terms in each year since 1997.

Barbara Follett: The Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses published at
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pesa09_chapter7.pdf
	by HM Treasury show central government grants to local government. The outturn figures are analysed between Departments but not between local authorities. The level of data analysis requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost

Local Government: Standards

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the speech of the Minister for Local Government and Community Cohesion of 28 February 2006, on Driving improvement: beyond CPA, what steps his Department has taken to implement double devolution since February 2006.

Rosie Winterton: Since the then Minister for Local Government and Community Cohesion delivered his speech in February 2006, the Department for Communities and Local Government has published two White Papers and passed two major pieces of legislation, the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 and the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 which clearly demonstrate the actions taken to implement double devolution. A key element of this work has been the introduction in 2008 of the new local performance framework, which aimed to lessen the burden and bureaucracy of assessment on local government, by reducing the number of performance indicators on which councils are measured from around 1,200 to 188-and replacing the old Comprehensive Performance Assessment with the new, lighter touch, Comprehensive Area Assessment in April last year. We have already reduced the number of inspection days in Councils by a third, while the cost of the independent inspection has been reduced by 30 per cent.
	We have also increased financial freedom and stability to local government through the first ever three-year finance settlement, reduced ring-fencing, and devolved powers to local authorities, enabling them to create parish councils, make and enforce certain bylaws and increasing their choice in democratic processes such as electoral schemes and leadership style. We have strengthened the opportunity for local people to take action for themselves, promoting the transfer of assets from local government to local people where these could be better run for community benefits, and introducing community contracts, where residents and local agencies agree on the priorities for their area and the action both will take to achieve them. We have funded the Participatory Budgeting Unit to support local authorities in activities to involve local people in prioritising specified budgets and have increased councillors' powers to raise issues up the agenda of the local authority by introducing the Councillor Call for Action, which enables any councillor to refer an issue to the overview and scrutiny committee. We have also recently passed legislation that will give citizens greater power to hold local authorities to account and influence local services. This includes a new duty for local authorities to respond to petitions from local people; and the extension of scrutiny arrangements, enabling local people, through their councillors, to influence decisions which affect their day to day lives and give them more say over what their council is doing for them and complementing measures to increase engagement and empowerment in key local services.
	The Strengthening Local Democracy public consultation last July, and our response published on 5 February, affirms our continuing commitment to principles of devolution at all levels. In addition, Putting the Front-line first: Smarter Government published on 9 December sets out how Government will meet new challenges and deliver better public services for lower costs by: driving up standards through strengthening the roles of citizens and civic society; freeing up public services by recasting the relationship between the centre and the front-line and streamlining central Government, saving money through sharper delivery.

Local Government: Standards

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has allocated to local authorities in performance reward grants in each year to date; and how much such funding has been allocated for  (a) 2010-11,  (b) 2011-12 and  (c) 2012-13.

Barbara Follett: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 March 2010,  Official Report, column 961W. As part of the comprehensive spending review 2007 £340million was allocated to the current round of Performance Reward Grant funding.
	This Department has published guidance on the operation of the reward scheme; it is available on the Department's website:
	www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/laarewardguidance2009

Multiple Occupation: Licensing

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 14 December 2009,  Official Report, column 915W, on multiple occupation, what steps his Department is taking in respect of local authorities which have not reported the Register of Licensed Houses in Multiple Occupation data to his Department; and for what reason such data was not intended to be part of the National Indicator set.

Ian Austin: Local authorities not currently supplying data to the Department for the Register of Licensed Houses in Multiple Occupation (ROLHMO) are contacted on a monthly basis for updates as to when they will be in a position to supply data. It is not a statutory requirement for local authorities to provide data.
	The collection of information from local authorities serves a range of purposes. The national indicator set is limited to measures for Government's priority outcomes. There are many services and activities undertaken by local government, alone or in partnership, which are not directly reflected in the national indicator set but which will continue to be important to local areas and the people they serve. It is more appropriate that these are performance-managed locally-with local authorities setting priorities and reviewing performance.

Non-Domestic Rates

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average change is in  (a) business rate valuations and  (b) business rates payable between 2009-10 and 2010-11 taking into account the rate poundage and transitional relief in each local authority area in England.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 15 March 2010
	I have placed a table containing the average change in  (a) rateable value and  (b) the national non-domestic rates bill after transitional relief in the Library of the House.
	The data used to produce the average change in rateable value between 2009-10 and 2010-11 are consistent with the statistical release titled Non-domestic rateable values: 2010 Local Ratings Lists-England and Wales published on 18 December 2009. A copy of this statistical release is available at the following link:
	http://www.voa.gov.uk/publications/statistical_releases/VOA_Statistics_Release_Final.pdf
	No estimates of the average change in bills have been made, as these contain not only transitional relief but all other reliefs, some determined at the billing authorities' discretion. Therefore it is not possible to estimate the likely bill of a hereditament.
	For the purpose of modelling the 2010 Transitional Relief scheme, the Notional Chargeable Amount (NCA) was calculated. The NCA for a given year is the product of the rateable value and that year's small business multiplier. The NCA is then compared to the previous year's reference value increased by the caps. The minimum of these two values was used as a proxy for the bill after transition.
	The data used for this modelling are consistent with the consultation document titled The transitional arrangements for the non-domestic rating revaluation 2010 in England. Details on the methodology and assumptions used can be found on page 49 of the consultation. The assumptions underlying this modelling include zero inflation, which does not reflect the latest information available, and adjustments for appeals. A copy of the consultation document is available at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/nndrrevaluation2010
	Rateable values are only one part of the rates bill. The other is the ratings multiplier-which is applied to calculate final bills. To compensate for the higher property market at the time of revaluation we have reduced the multiplier by 15 per cent.--taking it to its lowest level for 17 years-this is designed to ensure the Government do not collect an extra penny from revaluation and that each business pays its fair contribution by ensuring the share of the national rates bill paid by any one business reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others.
	Over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation. The Government have put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on the minority with bill increases, which in 2010-11 will ensure no business property sees its rates bill increase by more than 11 per cent. as a result of the revaluation, with maximum increases capped at just 3.5 per cent. for small properties. That is on top of the wider support available to help ease business pressures including discounted rate bills for small businesses and deferring tax payments.

Non-Domestic Rates

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of businesses in England will receive  (a) an increase and  (b) a reduction in their (i) business rate valuation and (ii) business rates payable taking account of the rate poundage and transitional relief as a result of the most recent revaluation.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 15 March 2010
	The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Table 1: Number and share of hereditaments in England whose rateable value will increase or decrease as a result of the 2010 revaluation 
			   Number of  h ereditaments (thousand)  Proportion of  a ll  h ereditaments (percentage) 
			 Increase in RV 1,276 74 
			 Decrease in RV 187 11 
			 No change in RV 255 15 
		
	
	The data used to produce the number and proportion of hereditaments in England that will receive an increase or decrease in rateable value are consistent with the statistical release titled Non-domestic rateable values: 2010 Local Ratings Lists-England and Wales published on 18 December 2009.
	A copy of this statistical release is available at the following link:
	http://www.voa.gov.uk/publications/statistical_releases/VOA_Statistics_Release_Final.pdf
	No estimates of the number and proportion of hereditaments in England that will receive an increase or decrease in bill have been made, as these contain not only transitional relief but all other reliefs, some determined at the billing authorities' discretion. Therefore it is not possible to estimate the likely bill of a hereditament.
	However, for the purpose of modelling the 2010 Transitional Relief scheme, my Department has estimated a proxy for rates bills in 2009-10 and 2010-11. The Notional Chargeable Amount (NCA) was calculated which for a given year is the product of the rateable value and that year's small business multiplier. The NCA is then compared to the previous year's reference value increased by the caps. The minimum of these two values was used as a proxy for the bill after transition. The result of these proxy calculations is shown in table 2.
	
		
			  Table 2: Number and share of hereditaments in England whose proxy bill, calculated by the Department before inflation and other reliefs but after transition, will increase or decrease as a result of the 2010 revaluation 
			   Number of  h ereditaments (thousand)  Proportion of  a ll  h ereditaments (percentage) 
			 Increase in bill 677 40 
			 Decrease in bill 1,028 60 
		
	
	The data used for this modelling are consistent with the consultation document titled The transitional arrangements for the non-domestic rating revaluation 2010 in England. Details on the methodology and assumptions used can be found on page 49 of the consultation. The assumptions underlying this modelling include zero inflation, which does not reflect the latest information available, and adjustments for appeals. A copy of the consultation document is available at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/nndrrevaluation2010
	The total number of hereditaments on the draft list used for the modelling of proxy bills is lower than on the draft rating list from which the number of properties with increasing or decreasing rateable values was taken. This is because the modelling was initially undertaken when the VOA had not compiled the full rating list and explains the discrepancy between the total number of hereditaments included in table 1 and 2 above.
	Rateable values are only one part of the rates bill. The other is the ratings multiplier-which is applied to calculate final bills. To compensate for the higher property market at the time of revaluation we have reduced the multiplier by 15 per cent.--taking it to its lowest level for 17 years-this is designed to ensure the Government do not collect an extra penny from revaluation and that each business pays its fair contribution by ensuring the share of the national rates bill paid by any one business reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others.
	Over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation. The Government have put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on the minority with bill increases, which in 2010-11 will ensure no business property sees its rates bill increase by more than 11 per cent. as a result of the revaluation, with maximum increases capped at just 3.5 per cent. for small properties. That is on top of the wider support available to help ease business pressures including discounted rate bills for small businesses and deferring tax payments.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2010,  Official Report, column 1154W, on non-domestic rates: ports, who took the decision that port businesses should be separately rated; and when the decision was taken.

Barbara Follett: Valuation officers are required under Section 41 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 to maintain accurate rating lists. When they become aware that a change is needed, such as that at the ports, they must make the alteration and also specify the date from which the change should become effective for rates charging purposes.
	The principles concerning separate rateability where there is exclusive occupation and paramount control are long established. The leading case on the subject is a House of Lords decision from as far back as 193 6-Westminster Council v. Southern Railway Company and W.H. Smith and Son.
	The VOA rated ports and properties within ports for the 2005 list based upon information supplied by the ports operators and indeed a significant number of separate assessments appeared in the rating lists for individual port occupiers at this stage, even before the ports review was initiated.
	It was only after the list was compiled that-through routine work to keep the lists up to date-it was found that at Southampton Container Terminal the assessment for the 2000 list may not have correctly reflected the extent to which separate property within the Port of Southampton needed to be assessed. Action was therefore taken by the VOA to amend the list, but this action was strongly disputed by the other parties and legal and valuation argument followed: only once that appeal had been withdrawn, (in April 2006), were the VOA able to satisfy themselves of the correct approach in relation to certain types of port occupation and they immediately instigated the review of ports. Port operators were advised by letter of the ports review and its background in May 2006.
	As a result of the review, which ended in 2008, 725 newly assessed properties were added to the ratings list. The decision to add each of these would have been made by the relevant valuation officer in each instance.
	The review of ports by the Valuation Office Agency is to ensure that all individual business properties within and outside ports are rated fairly to ensure that the burden of contributions to funding local government is shared fairly among businesses around the country.
	The Government have listened to the concerns of businesses with significant and unexpected backdated bills, including some businesses within ports. It has legislated to enable such bills to be repaid over an unprecedented eight years rather than in a single instalment, helping affected businesses to manage the impact on their cash flows during the downturn by reducing the amount they are required to pay now by 87.5 per cent.
	As at October 8l 2009, local authorities have reported that ratepayers occupying 221 properties within ports had fully discharged their backdated liability and ratepayers occupying a further 200 business properties within ports had been granted a schedule of payments.

Non-Domestic Rates: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much on average was paid in business rates in the City of York in 2009-10; and what estimate he has made of the likely average amount to be paid in 2010-11 taking account of transitional relief.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 15 March 2010
	The figure derived from dividing the forecast net rate yield from the city of York's rating list in 2009-10 by the number of hereditaments on that local list as at 31 December 2008 is £14,600. Data are as reported to Communities and Local Government by the city of York on their 2009-10 National Non-Domestic Rates (NNDR) returns.
	No estimates of the average bill in 2010-11 have been made, as these contain not only transitional relief but all other reliefs, some determined at the billing authorities' discretion. Therefore it is not possible to estimate the likely bill of a hereditament and any comparison with the average bill in 2009-10 will be flawed as it cannot take account of all of these reliefs.
	However, for the purpose of modelling the 2010 Transitional Relief scheme, my Department has estimated a proxy for rates bills in 2010-11. The Notional Chargeable Amount (NCA) was calculated which for a given year is the product of the rateable value and that year's small business multiplier. The NCA is then compared to the previous year's reference value increased by the caps. The minimum of these two values was used as a proxy for the bill after transition. The figure derived from dividing the total of all proxy bills for 2010-11 in the city of York by the number of hereditaments on the draft 2010 rating list used for the Department's 2010 transitional relief modelling is £16,300.
	The data used for this modelling are consistent with the consultation document titled The Transitional Arrangements for the Non-domestic Rating Revaluation 2010 in England. Details on the methodology and assumptions used can be found on page 49 of the consultation. The assumptions underlying this modelling include zero inflation, which does not reflect the latest information available, and adjustments for appeals. A copy of the consultation document is available at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/nndrrevaluation2010
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more by ensuring the share of the national rates bill paid by any one business reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government.
	Over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation. The Government have put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on the minority with bill increases, which in 2010-11 will ensure no business property sees its rates bill increase by more than 11 per cent. as a result of the revaluation, with maximum increases capped at just 3.5 per cent. for small properties. That is on top of the wider support available to help ease business pressures including discounted rate bills for small businesses and deferring tax payments.

Public Sector

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which Government departments are participating in the Total Place initiative.

Rosie Winterton: The Total Place programme is overseen by a ministerial group chaired by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and includes the Department for Children, Schools and Families, Home Office, Ministry of Justice, Department of Health, Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Food and Rural Affairs and the Cabinet Office along with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and the Chair of the LGA.

Regional Planning and Development

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for the responsible regional authority to draw up each new regional strategy.

Ian Austin: The provisions of the Local Democracy Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 to create regional strategies come into effect on 1 April 2010. The regulations which also come into effect on that day, state that each Responsible Regional Authority will have to produce a project plan outlining how they will take forward the revision of their regional strategy, some project plans are already in place. All regions will aim to complete the revision of their regional strategies by 2013.

Carbon Emissions: Trees

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 8 February 2010,  Official Report, column 734W, on trees, what is the estimated number of trees planted as a woodland creation carbon abatement measure that would offset one tonne of carbon dioxide.

Joan Ruddock: A hectare of new native woodland planted now in the UK would be expected to remove nearly 400 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere by 2050, equivalent to six trees planted per tonne of CO2 sequestered by that time.

Domestic Appliances: Carbon Emissions

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2010,  Official Report, column 939W, on domestic appliances: carbon emissions, if he will make an estimate of the  (a) number of domestic consumer electronics products which qualify for the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target and  (b) likely effect on the level of carbon dioxide emissions of the inclusion of those products in that scheme.

Joan Ruddock: 14 electronic product types qualify to be promoted by suppliers in support of achieving their household Carbon Emissions Reduction Target. Consumer electronic products make up just over 2 per cent. of savings towards the 185 million tonne lifetime carbon dioxide savings target to date (by end December 2009). This compares to some 62 per cent. of savings to achieved through insulation products and 29 per cent. through lighting products.